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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26188348">Broken</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ihavenoideawhoiam/pseuds/ihavenoideawhoiam'>ihavenoideawhoiam</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Anxiety Attacks, Author is low on the will to live, I'm trying I swear, Konohagakure | Hidden Leaf Village, M/M, Oblivious Uzumaki Naruto, Post-Canon Fix-It, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, References to Depression, Slow To Update, Uchiha Sasuke Has Issues</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 05:48:51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,534</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26188348</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ihavenoideawhoiam/pseuds/ihavenoideawhoiam</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Do you think the Sandaime would have had the Uchiha killed unless it was absolutely necessary?”</p><p>“The old man was WRONG,”he screams so hard he thinks he’s lost his voice. The words echo through the cell over and over again and suddenly, he realises what he just said.</p><p>Oh, kami. What is he saying? What’s wrong with him? What-</p><p>“He was wrong,” Naruto gasps, trembling arms wrapping around his own body, “you were all wrong.”</p><p>He can't believe he's saying this.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>101</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Breaking</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>If Sasuke wasn’t decked in chains and seals from head to toe, he would run his sword through that repulsive old hag.</p><p>“Uchiha Sasuke, You are being held here  today for abandoning the village, attacking the Kage summit, aligning yourself with the Akatsuki and attempting to kill Uzumaki Naruto, among several other things.”</p><p>Sasuke glares at her until she mentions Naruto’s name. <i>“Attempting to kill Naruto,</i>”  the words spear through him. Still, he looks up again and continues to glare at her, letting the guilt slowly eat away at the broken remnants of his soul.</p><p> “What do you have to say for yourself?”</p><p>“Fuck off,” he snarls. His wrists sting every time he moves, but he can’t bring himself to care. He’s burning up. </p><p>“So this is the boy you want to save, Naruto?” the old man scoffs while eyeing Sasuke and shaking his head dismissively, “I would have him killed this minute-” </p><p>“<i>No</i>! Sasuke, keep your mouth sh-”</p><p>“You shut up, Naruto,” he growls, refusing to look at the younger boy. He said he’d lost to Naruto. Sasuke won’t try and harm his friend's ‘precious’ Konoha. But there’s no way in hell he’s going to cooperate with them after they took everything from him. The sight  of the blood spilled on Konoha’s behalf is branded into the back of his eyes, the scenes playing over and over again in his head until he’s on his knees and crying long after everyone is asleep.</p><p>“Sa-”</p><p>“Here is our offer,” Homura interrupts, stopping to fix Sasuke with a hollow, yet domineering glare before announcing, “Uchiha Sasuke will be released, on certain terms, if he agrees to serve Konoha-”</p><p>“Like hell I will,” the raven laughs, hysteria bubbling in his chest, “I’ll die before I serve this shithole you call a village.”</p><p>“Then die,” Koharu remarks, her lips curling in a trace of a sneer. She’s wearing a mask of calm of impassiveness, but there’s a twinkle of excitement in her beady eyes.</p><p>“What the fuck? No, Sasuke-”</p><p> “Naruto, stay out of this.”</p><p> “NO I FUCKING <b>WON'T</b>!” Naruto roars, shaking as he slams his hand on a nearby table, rage swirling in his eyes, “You think I’m gonna sit here and let you get yourself killed? Just cooperate for once, will you? What the hell is wrong with you?”</p><p>“You don’t understand, so shut UP,” Sasuke grits outs, squeezing his eyes shut.</p><p> “I understand plenty! You’re being a maniacal, vengeful asshole again, goddamn it! I thought we were done fighting about this, but you refuse to let go-”</p><p>“Shut up, shut up , SHUT UP!”he screams hoarsely, barely aware of his surroundings as he sinks to his knees. It’s like he’s in Itachi’s genjutsu all over again; he can see his parent’s bloody bodies on the floor, he can see Itachi holding back tears before disappearing into the night and before he knows it, he’s trembling pathetically on the ground, his nails digging so hard into his palms that droplets of blood start to drip down his fingertips.</p><p> “S-sasuke...”</p><p>“I’ve had enough,” he croaks painfully, “I’ve had enough. I’m done. You’re a just stupid kid. You don’t know how or what I feel. You don’t have to see the people that loved  you cold and dead on the floor every night because these people,” he points a bloody finger at the elders, “had them killed when they could have been saved.”</p><p>The tense silence that settles around them is almost painful.</p><p>“You think you’re some hero for forgiving them? You think this is behind us?” he continues, laughing disbelievingly, a rush of giddiness hitting him and making his head spin, <i>“Here’s the truth: they have never been stopped and they never will be stopped because stupid children like you call yourselves heroes for defending them.”</i></p><p>Naruto just stands there, his jaw opening and closing like he’s a fish out of water, and that just makes Sasuke’s blood boil even harder.</p><p>“I’m not asking you to help me. I’m asking you to leave me alone. I’ll never serve Konoha. If it gets me killed, then so be it. At least that way I won’t have to see Itachi’s body every time I close my eyes.”<br/>
He doesn’t even realise that his face is flushed and wet with tears as he speaks; his voice is breaking, his body is trembling and his eyes are bloodshot.</p><p>“Take me back,” he whispers so the anbu guard next to him can hear. </p><p>“S...Sasuke.” Naruto’s voice is uncharacteristically small and feeble.  Listening to him sounding so unsure, so weak, so not Naruto is slashing at his heart, but he ignores it. He needs to escape; he’s breaking apart and he can’t let the world see it.. He needs to escape before he breaks  apart and the world how broken he is.</p><p>“Why did you come back to Konoha, then?” Naruto calls out weakly, trying to sound angry despite being clearly shaken from Sasuke’s sudden outburst. The Uchiha  doesn’t look at him, but he’s sure there are  tears in the blond’s deep blue eyes. The same eyes that he spent night after night dreaming about. The same eyes that saved him from the hell he had built and locked himself inside. The same eyes...that break his heart every day. He tenses, grimacing and turning to look into those blue, blue eyes. He can hear his heart pounding and his blood roaring.  </p><p>‘Because I love you, you idiot,’he screams internally, ‘Haven’t I made it clear enough?’</p><p>“Because... You’re my friend, Naruto.”</p><p>Sasuke doesn’t know whether he wants to laugh or slam his own head into a wall because of how miserable that reply just sounded. He pushes himself up onto his feet, his legs shaking slightly as he walks away with the Anbu guard. He doesn’t want to see Naruto again. It will break him even more. Anyway...</p><p> </p><p>...Sasuke’s been broken enough.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>leave kudos or a comment if you like it? and constructive criticism is appreciated&lt;3</p><p>thank you <a href="https://sstabberr.tumblr.com"> Sam</a> for beta reading! I love you, be safe&lt;3</p><p>(should I write more? I mean, given the canon ending, there's a lot of room for improvement, right? 👀)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Shatter</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>“Do you think the Sandaime would have had them killed unless it was absolutely necessary?”</p><p>“The old man was WRONG,”he screams so hard he thinks he’s lost his voice. The words echo through the cell over and over again and suddenly, he realises what he just said.</p><p>Oh, kami.</p><p>What is he saying?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Naruto can still hear Sasuke’s words ringing in head, over and over again until he feels like he’s lost it. The silence of the prison isn’t helping either. There’s nothing to listen for, nothing to look at besides stained walls and dirty corridors. Besides, the stains look too much like dried blood and Naruto would rather not look at them. He doesn’t want to know whose blood that is.</p><p>He doesn’t want to know. He doesn’t want to think. He doesn’t want to have to deal with all this shit it’s making his head spin and his heart beat like thunder during a storm he doesn’t even know why he’s coming here again after Sasuke had looked at him with the sort of emptiness in his eyes that made the warmth in his body drain out of him, he’s so lost-</p><p>
  <i>‘stupid children like you call yourselves heroes for defending them’</i>
</p><p>Shut up. Shut up-</p><p>“Shut up,”he growls out loud. He freezes realising he said that out loud. The anbu guard turns to face him, probably giving him a weird look from under her mask. He just glares at her, gesturing for her to keep moving. She complies all most immediately, her movements eerily robotic. He thinks of Sai, who was almost forced to kill the person he loved most just so he could be Danzo’s tool. </p><p>‘Konoha’s tool,’ a voice hisses.</p><p>‘No,’ Naruto shakes his head, ‘Danzo…he was a traitor. Old man third would have punished him if he were here.’</p><p>But what did the old man do while he was alive?</p><p>He wants to pull his hair out and scream. Nothing makes sense. Nothing is going the way he wanted. Right when he thought he was finally going to be set free from this mess his world got turned upside down again it’s like he’s drowning. He has no idea what he’s doing. Again.</p><p>
  <i>‘You’re just a stupid kid.’</i>
</p><p>‘Yes, I am!’ He wants to scream, wants to cry, wants to sink to his knees because he feels so heavy it’s torture he’s so, so damn tired. He’s a stupid kid that’s all he is, he doesn’t want to be a to be a hero anymore, doesn’t want to carry the weight of the world on his back he just wanted someone to hold him but apparently that’s too much to ask for-</p><p>“We’re here, Naruto-san,” the woman clears her throat and stands aside, staring at the floor.</p><p>He looks up, blinking slowly. The door…</p><p>“Is someone else in there?”</p><p>She says nothing, hesitating for a moment before sighing, “the two elders came to visit him a minute ago. I don’t know why.”</p><p>She walks away, leaving Naruto with an uneasy feeling in his gut. He remembers the way they looked at him during the trial. The memory makes his stomach churn.</p><p>He runs inside, hastily trying to sense Sasuke’s chakra. It will be hard to find thanks to all those stupid seals, but Naruto knows he can find Sasuke. He always does.<br/>
‘They’re going to kill him,’ Kurama mutters, sounding mildly alarmed, ‘Hurry up, child.’</p><p>“WHAT?”he doesn’t even realise he’s screaming. Pure terror sinks into his veins, along with rage and betrayal. He runs, breaking down door after door, his vision tunnelling, his chest hurting because of how hard his heart is beating-</p><p>“Sasuke!”</p><p>Hokaru is standing over a tied up Sasuke, holding a kunai to his throat with a grimace on her lips. He growls so hard that her grip on the blade slackens for a moment as the two elders turn to look at him, their lips parting in surprise.</p><p>“What,”he snarls, crushing a doorknob in his palm, “the <i>fuck</i> do you think you’re doing?”</p><p>“They’re ending my misery, <i>dobe</i>. Wanna help?” Sasuke sighs hollowly, not moving an inch away from the two. He doesn’t look at Naruto; he just keeps his eyes glued to the floor, it’s so unlike Sasuke that is sends shivers up Naruto’s spine.</p><p>“Get away from him.”</p><p>“Naruto-“</p><p>“Get. Away. From him. Or I’ll kill you,” he roars, “I don’t care if you Konoha bastards call me a traitor for this get away from him NOW.”</p><p>No one says a word. Naruto can barely see straight, he’s so angry.</p><p>“So you’ve succeeded, Uchiha,” Homura spits out, pulling Koharu away from Sasuke with pure loathing in his eyes.</p><p>“I didn’t do shit.”</p><p>“Liar.”</p><p>“SHUT UP,” he squeezes his eyes shut, reaching desperately for an ounce of sanity.</p><p>There’s a tense beat of silence. Naruto is seething, glowering at the elders with bright red eyes. There’s something screaming inside of him to kill. To destroy. He <i>hates</i> them. He hates them he hates them he hates them-</p><p>‘Naruto,’Kurama calls out gruffly, ‘Calm down.’</p><p>“They tried to kill him,” he pants, his sharp nails digging into his palms, “I’ll kill them.”</p><p>Sasuke is looking at him with his dark eyes wide open. There are dark bags under his eyes and his skin is so pale it makes Naruto want to cry. He’s saying something but Naruto can’t hear him over the ringing in his ears.</p><p>‘Calm down.’</p><p>He forces some musty air into his lungs, absentmindedly wiping blood onto his pants. </p><p>“Why?”he croaks, glaring at the two elders, “Who said you could- h-how dare you?”</p><p>“We new he was up to something since the trial,” Koharu grunts, “so we tried to dispose of him before he could manipulate you any further. It seems we failed.”<br/>
“What?”</p><p>“So you really would abandon Konoha for this boy? A criminal? An <i>Uchiha</i>?”</p><p>“What do the Uchiha have to do with anything?”</p><p>“Did you not hear the Nidaime, child? The Uchiha are cursed with evil. They are a menace.”</p><p>No. No, that’s not- is it- what?</p><p>“Shut up,”he grits out.</p><p>“Do you think the Sandaime would have had them killed unless it was absolutely necessary?”</p><p>“The old man was WRONG,”he screams so hard he thinks he’s lost his voice. The words echo through the cell over and over again and suddenly, he realises what he just said.</p><p>Oh, kami.</p><p>What is he saying? What’s wrong with him? What-</p><p>
  <i>‘Had them killed when they could have been saved.’</i>
</p><p>
  <i>‘Curse of hatred’</i>
</p><p>“He was wrong,” Naruto gasps, trembling arms wrapping around his own body, “you were all wrong.”</p><p>He can feel Sasuke staring holes into his body. No one moves for what feels like an eternity.</p><p>“Koharu,” the old man says coldly, “kill the boy.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I know I'm late but my brain went on vacation thanks to #depression and I had to re-write is a bunch of times but hopefully this isn't complete shit idk dude I feel kind of unhinged rn :D </p><p>leave kudos or a comment if you like it, it really makes my day, y'all :)</p><p>oh also, the cliffhanger... I promise I've already finished half of it I won't make you wait I swear sjakhdfskl</p><p>oh also here's my <a href="https://narusasu-on-crack.tumblr.com">tumblr</a> if anyone wants to come and scream at me there&lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Breathe</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>“I’m not gonna let them kill you!”he screams back in response, his grip around the blade tightening. He can hear the blood gushing out of his palm.</p><p>“You. Absolute idiot,” Sasuke grits out, his voice cracking harshly, “you’ve worked your whole life trying to earn respect from these people and now you’re going to give that up? For what, me? What the hell is wrong with you, Naruto?”</p><p>“Respect, my ass,” he yells wetly, feeling hot tears run down his cheeks, “It will mean nothing if you aren’t here with me. Do you understand, asshole?”</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I disappeared for a fucking month or more, what do I even say to you all? Except for 'I'm sorry'? Because I truly am extremely sorry for this whole mess. As compensation, I'm giving you this dramatic ass chapter :D</p><p>My anxiety has been acting up, so this was the perfect time to write this tragedy. Ya know, when I saw Naruto clutch at his chest and fall to the ground during that one scene from Shippuden, I felt that in my soul. Like literally, that was ME. It was heartbreaking, yet it felt... good? I felt represented. I would love to explore Naruto's panic attacks in the future because I'm a self indulgent bitch. Anyway, onto the story!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Koharu. Kill the boy.”the old man commands, his stone-cold eyes hardening in determination. Naruto feels his gut clench so hard, that he almost feels sick.</p><p>Sasuke’s dry, chapped lips part, his dark eyes wide open with disbelief, “Naruto, I-”<br/>
“Silence,” the woman hisses, her blade digging into Sasuke’s skin. Naruto’s knees buckle.</p><p>“STOP,” he roars, his voice cracking as he throws himself at his friend with every bit of strength in his body. He grabs the sword by the blade, barely feeling the potent, metallic smell of his own blood and the paralysing sting that shoots up his arm.</p><p>“Stop it, stop it <i>NOW</i>.” </p><p>“Step away, Naruto, you’re injured.”</p><p>“Chop my limbs off for all I care, I won’t move an inch until you get your ugly hands off of him,” he growls, feeling Kurama’s chakra seeping out of his body.</p><p>“Stay out of this for one moment in your life, you IDIOT,” Sasuke yells hoarsely, his voice ringing in Naruto’s ears.</p><p>“I’m not gonna let them kill you!”he screams back in response, his grip around the blade tightening. He can hear the blood gushing out of his palm.<br/>
“You. Absolute idiot,” Sasuke grits out, his voice cracking harshly, “you’ve worked your whole life trying to earn respect from these people and now you’re going to give that up? For what, me? What the hell is wrong with you, Naruto?”</p><p>“Respect doesn't mean <i>shit</i>,” he yells wetly, feeling hot tears run down his cheeks, “It will mean nothing if you aren’t here with me. Do you understand, asshole?”</p><p>“Why is this Uchiha brat so precious to you, Naruto? After all he’s done to you, to your home?” Homura rasps, glowering at the two of them, “You are betraying us.”</p><p>“Shut up,”he sobs, desperately forcing air into his chest, “<i>Shut. Up</i>.”</p><p>“Don’t bring dishonour to your father’s name,”the old woman snaps, her eyes cutting through his soul relentlessly. The coldness in her eyes makes his lungs freeze.</p><p>“Don’t bring my dad into this.”</p><p>“He would be ashamed of you.”</p><p>“SHUT UP.”</p><p>He’s painting heavily, his breaths ragged with tears. When he looks back up, the elders have been knocked to the floor, probably by the force of his chakra. He feels his heart drop to his feet at the sight. </p><p>“W-wait, I didn’t mean-”</p><p>“Naruto, listen to reason,” Koharu tries, her rough, worn out voice going uncharacteristically soft, “Sasuke doesn’t care for you. It’s time you gave up on him.”</p><p>“Don’t you- don’t talk to me about Sasuke. Not after everything you sick bastards did to him.”<br/>
“The execution of his clan was a consequence of their own actions. Hiruzen would-”</p><p>He growls, punching through a nearby wall.</p><p>“SHUT UP.”</p><p>“Uzumaki Naruto,” the old man thunders, “If your allegiance lies with this village, you will stand down now. This is your last chance.”</p><p>His eyes widen and his chest tightens so much that he’s afraid it might implode from the pain. Sasuke or Konoha? He wouldn't choose anything over Sasuke, but… are they asking him to abandon Konoha for Sasuke?</p><p>Konoha, the place he's lived his entire life? His home? What will they do, call him an enemy of the state like they did Sasuke? Cast him out again? Will he be crushed by those cold, harsh eyes like he had been so long ago? No. No way.</p><p>He realises that he's gasping for breath when the elders step forward, wearing cold grimaces that tear through him. Those eyes. They're tearing his soul apart all over again.</p><p>Is this all it takes for them to look at him that way again? Is that all he's worth?</p><p>”What am I to you?” he asks them, his voice shaking so hard that he can barely hear himself properly, ”What am I to this village?”</p><p>”You are a ninja of Konoha, ” the old woman declares, ”You are a hero who would lay down his life for his village.”</p><p>”Is that it?” he cries, ”so I’m just another person who you would sacrifice without batting an eye. So you’re saying I'm nothing to you, after everything! Is that what you're saying?”</p><p>”There is no greater honour than being a hero, Naruto, ” Homura booms, ”You’ve lost sight of what matters. No one is worth more than the well being of this village.”</p><p>”You don’t treat people like pawns, you sick old geezers, ”he snarls, feeling everything inside of him unravel from the white hot rage that floods his head. He can’t think. He can’t see straight. All he can feel is anger.</p><p>“Get away from him,”he growls lowly, “Or I’ll kill you.”</p><p>“You would never.”</p><p>His lips snap shut as he realises what he’s just said. He wouldn’t actually kill someone. It’s an empty threat and they know it. He feels his blood freeze as he thinks about it.</p><p>“You are a citizen of Konoha. You have been for your entire life. Hand Sasuke back to us now. Or better yet, kill him yourself and pledge your allegiance to Konoha, your home.”</p><p>“Like HELL I WILL,”he screams, Kurama’s chakra flooding out of him. Even in the underground cell, wind blows strongly against everyone else in the room, but he’s too angry to care.</p><p>“DON’T YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT LAYING A FINGER ON HIM.”</p><p>He leaps at the old man, the handle of a kunai knife digging into his palm. He wants them dead, he wants them dead, he wants them-</p><p>Dead. </p><p> </p><p>Oh, no.</p><p>He staggers backwards, panting heavily. The elders are on the ground, nursing deep wounds in their abdomens. He… he did this. He tried to kill... </p><p>He tried to kill them.</p><p>He’s a monster.</p><p>“Wait- no, no, no-”he gasps, his grip around the bloody kunai going limp. He’s shaking so hard, he feels like he’s going to pass out. He can’t breathe. They’ve been stabbed. The elders of Konoha have been stabbed and he’s the one who did it. No no no <i>no</i>-</p><p>“You- you killed- them,”Sasuke breathes, his mouth hanging open. He’s turned even paler than before, “You killed them.”</p><p>“I- no I didn’t!” Naruto cries, “They were telling me to kill you- I didn’t-”</p><p>His knees sting as they drop to the floor. He can’t see past the tears that gush out of his eyes. He just killed the elders of Konoha.</p><p>He can’t breathe he can’t breathe he can’t breathe he-</p><p>“Naruto!”</p><p>“I killed them,”he wheezes, clutching at his chest. It hurts so bad, he’s going to die, “I. I- shit-”</p><p>‘Naruto,’ Kurama’s voice rings through his head, ‘Free the Uchiha boy. This is your chance to save him.”<br/>
“Why would you do that, you fucking idiot?” Sasuke hiccups, his voice tight, like he’s holding back tears, “Why would you do that? For someone like me? What were you thinking?”</p><p>“I-” he gasps, “I couldn’t- I couldn’t let them hurt you.”</p><p>He crawls towards Sasuke, ripping apart the seals binding the boy’s body, his hands shaking so hard, it’s almost impossible to free his friend.</p><p>“What have I ever done for you?”Sasuke shouts, his voice broken and hoarse and dripping with agony, “You had bonds. You had a home. You had everything I didn’t- and now you’ve thrown it away. Don’t you get it?”</p><p>“Because I can’t live happily while seeing you in pain,”he sobs, “I- I care, Sasuke- I always- a-always-”</p><p>He slumps forward, feeling the entire world dimming in front of him. But someone catches him, their grip on his shoulders so tight that it almost hurts. But the pain steadies him, somehow.</p><p>“Naruto!”</p><p>“I care,”he mutters weakly, “I..”  </p><p>
  <i>I love you.</i>
</p><p>“Stay awake. Stay awake or I’ll kill you, Naruto.”</p><p>“I can’t breathe.”</p><p>“What do you mean you can’t breathe? Just breathe in some air! What’s wrong with- NARUTO.”</p><p>“Why is this happening?”</p><p>“Because you’re a damn idiot!” Sasuke sobs, shaking him hard by the shoulders. </p><p>He falls forwards again, his forehead against a body shoulder. It’s cold. He hates the cold. But he doesn’t hate how this feels. </p><p>“There’s blood on your clothes, Sasuke.”</p><p>“It’s your blood, usuratonkachi-”</p><p>“Teme, why are you so cold?”</p><p>“...It’s cold down here.”</p><p>“That’s not good.”</p><p>Sasuke snorts, aggressively wiping tears off his dirty cheeks, “You’re beyond stupid.”</p><p>Naruto huffs, breathing in. His lungs don’t feel like they’re going to implode anymore. It still hurts, though. He needs to breathe. He breathes in and out. And in and out. In and out.</p><p>He can breathe again. It feels heavenly. It feels like poison is being flushed out of his chest. He gasps for air, breathing in as much as he can. He doesn’t even realise where he is.</p><p>“Koharu-sama!”an unfamiliar voice screeches, making his hair stand on end, “The elders- TH-THEY’RE DEAD.”</p><p>
  <i>Oh, no.</i>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I know the phrases are pretty repetitive, but I was simply using my own train of thought as an example. I apologise if those bits were annoying, but that's kind of how it is in the mind of someone who gets anxious. I mean, it's not always this bad for us, but since Naruto has fainted in the past because of this AND he's just killed a man for the first time in his life... yeah, that totally would happen, come on.</p><p>Also, I will try to update next week! Hopefully it will be a bit more cheerful, huh? Or not, you know me :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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